When Robert Parker tasted the 2005 Château Cos d’Estournel, he gave the “superb classic” a score of 98/100. In the UK, the celebrated Bordeaux went on sale for a release price of £1,350 for a case of 12.
His score for the 2009 Cos d’Estournel is 100/100 — “perfection” — and the result is a release price of £2,500.
The rise underlines the influence of the 62-year-old lawyer turned wine critic from Maryland.
Economists say a good mark from Mr Parker can add between 33 per cent and 50 per cent to the price of Bordeaux’s finest wines, with a bad mark dragging prices down by the same degree. No other critic has anything like the same impact on global demand. His supporters say he deserves the Légion d’honneur he received in 1999 for the way he has resisted pressure from châteaux owners. Mr Parker has reportedly received everything from death threats to, at the other extreme, promises that he can sleep with owners’ daughters.
They also say he is endowed with an unbeatable palate and a gift for describing wines in clear terms.
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But his enemies claim his main talent is promoting himself and they query his relationship with Bordeaux’s leading chateaux, which they say make “les vins parkerisé” — wines to suit his palate.